I usually get into arguments with expats, "westernised" Libyan's ( who aren't really ), and some colonial mentality suffering Libyans who have never been abroad over the source of some of our social problems and issues. Our social problems are usually regarded simple compared to those of other countries like, speeding, wearing seat belts and littering among many other things.
The aforementioned group usually take the easy way out of all the arguments, by attributing our problems to being backward, Muslim, brown and Libyan ! I can't really blame them I mean actually observing the social traits, analyzing them and trying to know the history of the problems can be tiring and painstaking, and if you're a racist with a set of racial stereotypes it becomes even harder; since you'll have to overcome your own mindset first.
At the end of our arguments I usually end up being accused of being an apologist, since I usually argue that there is no difference between Libyans and any other society except that our government chooses not to impose or apply certain laws and regulations and that if they did, things would change immediately.
The arguments sometimes escalate into me accusing them of being racists and them accusing me of being in denial. Recently though the Libyan government enacted a law requiring Libyans to wear seatbelts and in less than 2 weeks nearly everyone was wearing seatbelts.
So do you think that Libyans have suffered a mutation or were the people I was arguing with a bunch of racists ?
Friday, June 12, 2009
Libyan's Backwardness
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4 comments:
Last year I was studying about russsia's history. I remember when I was reading about stalin, there was a situation where people had to que up for something (can't remember what though). The queues were badly organised, no order, everyone was pushing and shoving. When Stalin was made aware of this problem he simply ordered the soldiers to shoot anyone that goes out of line even a little bit. Two people got shot for going out of line and the problem was solved.
Of course that example is beyond extreme and unrational. However did it solve the problem? Yes it did. When people fail to follow rules and become civilised, sanctions have to be imposed upon them. When the government imposes laws with tough sanctions people are more reluctant to break the law.
"When people "
I would go further and argue that people, in general, never follow rules. we always want to break them unless there is a drastic punishment for those who do.
I remember in the 80's, there was a fair amount of littering -not like Libya today - going on in the UK even though there were dust bins everywhere and campaigns to educate people; but they still littered I think it was in 1987 that they imposed a 100 pound fine on those who litter to reduce it. I was there a few years ago and there were people still littering and it was right in front of downing street !
Thanks for your comment ahmad and welcome to my blog :)
Education , education , education , it works .
There wasn't any education involved in it at all ..... it was pure and simple law enforcement. If education was the solution then you wouldn't need cops and law enforcement agents in the west either, right ?
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